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Gulfstream Aerospace's G650 is the hottest new business jet on the market, a $65 million bird that soars above the GV/G550, the company's previous best-selling large-cabin, ultralong-range model. But it wasn't the designers for the Savannah, Ga., company who identified the hit plane's key qualities. It was customers who were asked what they would like to see in a follow-on airplane.

"We've had customer advisory boards for almost 20 years," says Gulfstream's president, Larry Flynn, "and we've always relied on them to give us input." Customers wanted an airplane that would satisfy the need for more long-haul international travel. "They wanted more range, speed, and a larger cabin," Flynn says. "So we set out to develop an airplane that flies 7,000 nautical miles at Mach 0.85 and 5,000 nautical miles at Mach 0.90, which is unprecedented."

They did that -- and more. The G650, which can fly 6,000 nautical miles at Mach 0.90, with a top speed of Mach 0.925, is now the fastest business jet available. Gulfstream originally announced the jet in March 2008. During the recession, executives had to fly longer to cut deals in difficult-to-reach emerging markets, so even while the recession raged, G650 orders quickly jumped to 200. The jet's backlog is out to 2017.

The G650 has proved so popular, Gulfstream enacted an unusual clause in its sales contract: Buyers can't sell their delivery slots to eager line-jumpers. "Contracts are not assignable," Flynn explains. "Everybody stays in the order they bought." You can understand the interest. The G650 can cut an hour off the time a long flight would require on the G550. The cabin measures 102 inches wide and 77 inches high, with an 84-inch-wide floor, enough room to seat three across. Seating capacity is typically 11 to 18.

Roomy ride: The G650 has become a long-haul best seller for Gulfstream.
Courtesy of Gulfstream

For comfort and fatigue-prevention, the expansive pressurization provides a cabin altitude of 4,850 feet when flying at the maximum 51,000 feet. At 41,000 feet, cabin altitude is 2,800 feet, figures far lower than for airliners, which typically have an 8,000-foot cabin when flying much lower. The fuselage structure must be able to withstand greater pressurization to achieve those numbers, but the G650 windows are 28 inches long by 20.5 inches high, adding more natural light and better outside viewing than the G550 offers. The new airplane's fly-by-wire flight controls eliminate conventional cables and push rods, making the jet a pleasure to fly, while the PlaneView flight deck with enhanced vision systems results in more opportunities to make it into airports during low visibility, cutting down on diversions.

Gulfstream originally announced that the airplane would be certified in 2012, and the company met that goal. A crash during flight-testing of a prototype G650 in April 2011 did delay the program by a few months, but the National Transportation Safety Board investigated the accident and found no fault with the airplane's design.

The competition isn't exactly standing still. Bombardier is developing the rival 7,300-nautical-miles Global 7000 and 7,900-nautical-miles Global 8000, scheduled to enter service in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Around $150 million will snag you an 8,200-nautical-miles Boeing 787. That will out-distance all the purpose-built business jets.

How They Stack Up

Manufacturer

Maximum Range (at Mach 0.85)

Approximate Equipped Price (mil)

Operating Cost Per Flight Hour*

Gulfstream G650

7,000 NM**

$65

$7,302

Bombardier Global 6000

6,000 NM**

59

7,032

Bombardier Global 7000 (in development)

7,300 NM***

65

NA

Bombardier Global 8000 (in development)

7,900 NM**

65

NA

*Fuel cost, $6 per gallon. Based on utilization of 175,000 NM per year, total per-hour costs.

Don't let the flashy G650 blind you to Gulfstream's other toys. The same year it had the debut of the G650, the company announced the product that would become the G280. The large-cabin, super midsize G280, which replaced the G200, received FAA certification and entered service in 2012. It costs $24 million and seats up to 10. Says Flynn: "Customers wanted better performance, a more comfortable cabin, and the latest and greatest cockpit." Early buyers are flying the G280 from Paris to New York, benefiting from its better-than-expected range of nearly 3,600 nautical miles at Mach 0.80, up from the originally projected 3,400 nautical miles.

The G150 remains the smallest Gulfstream available; the G450 and G550 are still in production. "If you look at the fleet, the G650 is in a class by itself," Flynn says. "The G280 is best-in-class below the G450, so the price points and the performance are spread out enough so that it becomes a nice family. We go from the G150 to the G650 and try to understand what buyers' needs are and what best fits. It's a fun conversation."

But it's even more fun to fly them.

MATT THURBER is a senior editor at Aviation International News and a regular contributor to Business Jet Traveler.